1.6.2-Sarah1281
Brick!Club 1.6.2 How Jean may become Champ Or “Old French Conspiracy Theorists.” Seriously, this whole “Champmathieu must be Jean Valjean because of his name!” just reeks of modern conspiracy theorists. I’m glad to see Madeleine realizing that the Thenardiers just sending Cosette was simply not going to happen and taking steps to do it himself (though there is really a middle ground between him going himself and having the Thenardiers send her) and for once he actually looks annoyed at having to see someone. I guess he’s personally offendd that Javert sort-of argued with him. But because he in not twelve unlike some people he does not avoid Javert and lets him come right in. He is a little immature in barely acknowledging Javert but at least that’s over Fantine and not something sillier. Every time this translation talks about physiognomists I think phrenology and can’t take it seriously. I don’t really care what phrenologists or physiognomists have to say about people’s characters. Javert’s “long-cherished” aversion to Madeleine? As in he enjoyed secretly hating his boss even though he’s all about respecting authority just because they are authority? He really is a mess of cognitive dissonance even now, isn’t he? And do they mean literally incapable of lying? I…don’t think that’s the great trait the book tries to make it out as. I mean, that’s something most people outgrow by the time they hit kindergarten. Wait, so Javert complains that Madeleine was unjust to him “the other day”? I thought it’s been about two months at this point? I disagree that Madeleine was unjust to him, by the way. He told him that he would be handling the case and Javert argued (or started to) repeatedly though Madeleine was perfectly in the right according to the law to do this. When Javert would not stop protesting, he told him to leave and he was perfectly just to dismiss his impudent subordinate right then. Regardless of whether he was unjust in HOW he handled Fantine’s case, he was not in any way overly severe or unjust to Javert himself. I don’t blame Madeleine for being shocked that Javert is offended and petulant for two months and then all of a sudden comes in as humble as you please and begging to be fired in disgrace because he has wronged Madeleine. It’s like he’s a Tsundere or something. But as far as being justly or unjustly severe, Madeleine had far more cause to be “severe” with him when he was arguing about something Madeleine was perfectly within the law to do than when Javert reported his legitimate (if evidently wrong) suspicions to the prefecture. Were Madeleine actually a convict, it would have been his duty to report it so long as the possibility existed he was just doing his job. Ah, but the law barely applies to the rich, I forgot. Madeleine doesn’t think that the stand-off and subsequent sulking over Fantine counts as Javert having wronged him though if this were anyone else Javert would absolutely think that Madeleine had been wronged by his subordinate’s behavior. So now “the other day” becomes six weeks! Clearly Madeleine can’t be an ex-convict because if he was and his first instinct at being told the man who is highly suspicious of him and has openly alluded to the possibility of him being an ex-convict has reported on him to the Prefecture of Police in Paris was to burst out laughing then he’s really not reacting appropriately. Though Javert did say that he had wronged Madeleine so that implies he knows he’s not right now. I guess Javert’s more upset that he informed out of spite than because he really thought he had a case and was positive about Madeleine being Valjean. I wonder what actually happened to him since we now know for sure he’s not Madeleine. Apparently he goes “livid” at the accusation that he was an ex-convict so he’s definitely not pleased here. And of course not because that’s a pretty big insult, especially to such a saintly man of his station! Now Javert reveals the extent of his stalking. Madeleine apparently has lost track of people he knew in Faverolles or something (or makes discreet inquiries for some other poor person who has). Also he has “strength of his loins” that strike Javert as positively criminal. He’s suspicious of his marksmanship abilities though how would anyone actually know that Valjean was a good marksmen? Was it brought up at his trial in regards to that poaching thing he was not actually charged with? Did they say he was the best marksmen in the world? Why would Javert take some report he couldn’t possibly have seen personally about how Valjean was good at shooting and decide that Madeleine’s absurdly good shooting must be related? Madeleine apparently limps a little. Not surprising given we know he wrestles with bulls and wins. I do hope we see Valjean again soon. This is the first time he’s been mentioned in awhile and he was my favorite character. Javert being in “the habit of seeing him” sounds rather amusing, I must admit. I find it suspicious that Javert still remembers him. Does he remember ALL of the convicts? Was he just that impressed by the roof-climbing? Javert does not believe that Valjean did not rob the bishop because the bishop’s story, even by his standards, was ridiculous though enough to get him freed. I wonder if Valjean will be tried for that. And where was the “with violence” about Gervais? He didn’t touch him just ignored him and we’re not even sure that he was aware of what was going on until afterwards. He was like Adam Sandler in Click at the time fast-forwarding through the boring parts. Wow this translation is really archaic. “He disappeared eight years ago, no one knows how, and he has been sought, I fancied. In short, I did this thing! Wrath impelled me; I denounced you at the Prefecture.” So I guess Javert’s annoyed at himself because not only did he act spitefully but he didn’t even do his research first? It seems like he’s more annoyed about his own unprofessionalism than anything else. And now he knows he’s wrong he doesn’t think Madeleine even slightly resembles Valjean though logically he has to resemble him just as much as he always did, however much that was. I’m really sad that Valjean is caught. :( He seemed to really be planning on turning over a new leaf. Stealing apples is hardly the same as breaking a window or robbing a bishop or child. Even the law agrees it’s no big deal. And he’s still a wretched creature! I guess the money from the silver didn’t go far, especially if he insisted on giving it all away like he did to that priest the last time we saw him. This translation has that annoying snitch Brevet whose suspenders gave Valjean PTSD calling Valjean a “fagot” by which he meant convict. Odd. Why would he rat on him like that? I bet nobody even likes him. The case is “well ventilated.” I wonder how it was that Brevet could correctly identify Valjean and Javert is off thinking it’s Madeleine when they both apparently knew Valjean twenty years ago. For all Javert thinks people don’t and can’t change, he certainly is more willing to consider that Valjean physically changed and has better manners and intelligence than he did at Toulon. Valjean and Champmathieu were both tree pruners in Faverolles thirty years ago. That’s pretty conclusive. And what could possibly be more natural than a man on the run using his mother’s name and keeping his own first name? He will seriously never be discovered with such a brilliant disguise! What kind of dialectal differences do they have that turns Jean into Chan? Seriously. “When such people are not mud, they are dust.” Valjean’s poor family…No one at Faverolles remembers Valjean? That’s sad. Though I doubt he’d remember them either since he forgot his family a few years into the galley. At least the law will never forget him, not like that’s much help to him. Only two convicts in existence have seen Valjean? He was at Toulon for nineteen years! Everyone knew him because of his roof-climbing and caryatid-supporting and no one knew him? He’s only been gone eight years! There were really no more than two green-caps who are still there and not dead from that time period? It’s not like asking for convicts from thirty years ago! I’m starting to suspect that this case was not half as well-investigated as Javert seems to think. I’m surprised that, despite having already found Valjean, the prefecture doesn’t consider Javert’s word as an inspector as worth more than a couple of lying convicts. Though he was denouncing a respected mayor while the convicts identified another criminal so maybe that was it. And they do ask Javert to verify it and now even he knows how wrong he was about Madeleine. And then Javert pretty much goes “I’m sorry I thought you were a convict and tried to get you arrested.” Javert was humiliated by being asked to go away but has no care for the humiliation he caused his superior by openly questioning his authority in front of others. Javert, by your own standards Madeleine’s humiliation is more important than yours. I love how it’s no big deal to take some apples unless you are a convict and then it is robbing and house-breaking. At least Javert says “if he is Valjean.” A court has not yet proven that. I kind of doubt that kid, if he’s still alive, is going to come all the way from Digne to Arras for a trial about something that happened eight years ago. Apparently if Champmathieu were accused of being any other convict that Valjean he would be fine. There certainly is a lot of circumstantial evidence. And Javert thinks the fact that Champmathieu did not admit to being Valjean makes him Valjean. So obviously if he admitted it he would…well, that would also make him Valjean, wouldn’t it? And now after he’s been told the whole story Madeleine realizes that he does not actually care. But he still asks another question about it. I guess he just doesn’t want to let Javert know he intrigued him with his story since he’s still mad about Fantine. Madeleine proceeds to give great detail to Javert about how to do his job but this time Javert does not care, I see. And I can’t believe that they gave Javert one day’s notice in getting to Arras. That is not well-managed. It’s one thing to not fire Javert for being wrong but why does him being wrong and falsely and maliciously accusing him of being a convict mean he has honor and should be promoted? Or is it that he’s admitting it when he doesn’t have to? And of course if Madeleine won’t be harsh with Fantine for spitting on him he won’t care that Javert’s baseless accusation amounted to nothing. I do love how Javert seems to think that Madeleine just forgot to fire him. Though he could ask Paris to fire him dishonorably. And what kind of false dichotomy is Javert operating on where being dismissed honorably is too good for him so if he can’t be dismissed in disgrace he might as well just honorably keep doing his job? Stop calling him “Mr. Mayor!” Javert! It doesn’t even make any sense since everyone else calls him Monsieur le Maire! I liked Javert’s speech about how he can’t be a hypocrite and is harsh with everyone and disdainful of kindness so the same standards must be applies to him. It’s not nice to reject the mayor’s forgiveness, though. Is there a difference between the police and a police spy? They seem to be used interchangeably except for here where Javert says he is no more than a police spy since he abused his power.